Field of the Invention
The invention lies in the automotive technology field. More specifically, the invention relates to a mat with a heating wire for a motor vehicle seat heater and to a motor vehicle seat having such a mat.
The automotive art has long known heated seats. For heating such motor vehicle seats, it is possible to place mats in the seat which are provided with heating wires for heating the motor vehicle seat when the mat is installed in the seat.
The automotive art has also long known air bags used as passenger protection and restraint systems in motor vehicles.
When a child is present in a child seat placed on the front passenger seat, there exists a danger posed by the possible inflation of the passenger-side air bag. This is particularly prevalent when the child seat faces rearwardly, i.e., when the backrest of the child seat faces the dashboard. Devices for detecting a child seat placed in the passenger seat provide some remedy. Such a child seat can in particular be detected in contactless fashion, as follows: A transmitting antenna provided in the vehicle outputs an electromagnetic signal. A child seat placed on the passenger seat includes a resonator/transponder, which receives the signal output by the transmitting antenna, modifies it in a characteristic way, and outputs the modified signal. A receiving antenna provided in the vehicle receives the signal transmitted by the resonator. If the received signal has a signal structure that indicates the presence of a resonator and thus of a child seat in the area of the passenger seat, then tripping of the associated air bag restraint or restraints is subsequently prevented.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,933 (published German patent application DE 44 09 971 A1) describes a detection system which has a plastic film with incorporated resistor elements for weight detection and an antenna for child seat detection.
A disadvantage of the prior art antenna configuration is that in every case, a complicated film carrier including a weight sensor must be produced for mounting the antennas and has to be incorporated into the motor vehicle seat.